A week before the winter holidays, Elphaba received a letter from home. Her Nanny had taken ill and trouble was ensuing at home. The pressure of taking care of both Nessarose and Nanny was eating at her father, who longed to be out preaching. Shell, her younger brother, was no help at all, of course. He was much too young.

As Elphaba was putting the letter back in her purse while sitting on a bench outside, Fiyero found her and sat next to her. "Guess what? I'm staying here for the winter holidays. We can celebrate Lurlinemas together!"

"No we can't. Fiyero, you've forgotten I don't believe in any religion, Lurlinist, Unionist or anything else. Besides, my Nanny is sick, and my sister Nessa is disabled. Nanny can't take care of Nessa and I have to go home to help out or my father will have a tantrum."

Fiyero's face fell. "I'm sorry. When is your father coming to pick you up?"

"Ha! He can't possibly come and pick me up. Who would take care of Nanny and Nessa? No. I'm to go by myself."

"How?"

"My father has sent for a carriage to get me the day that classes finish for the holidays."

"A carriage? Rented? Driven by some driver you don't even know?"

"Oh, don't get all concerned about this, Fiyero. I can take care of myself. It'll be fine."

"I don't like the idea, still."

"Why?"

"You can't go by yourself."

"Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?" She demanded angrily.

He realized he'd breached a sensitive subject. "I just don't think it's the best thing for you. I know you can take care of yourself, but if you're taken by surprise or something…"

"You're acting like you're my father or something."

"We he's obviously not acting like a father enough!" Fiyero snapped.

She blinked and stared at him, disbelievingly. "You did not just say that."

"I did." He said quietly. "Elphaba, I don't want you getting hurt. Can't you understand that? I care about you too much."

"I can't believe you said that!" She began, offended. "My father…" Elphaba stopped and trailed off, sighing and shaking her head.

"What?" He took her hand.

"Nothing. It's just… you're right. That's all. And I hate you for it."

"You don't really hate me, do you?"

She tried to laugh, but it didn't quite come out. "No, of course not."

"I have a better idea." He said comfortingly. "Glinda could go with you. It'd be safer."

Elphaba snorted at that. "Glinda? Safer? Are you kidding me? I'd only be less safe if Glinda tagged along."

"Then let me come with." He said impulsively.

She looked at him curiously. "I don't think that's such a good idea, either."

"Why not?"

"We're dating. I'm afraid of what could happen with you and me alone."

"Nothing would happen unless you wanted it to. I promise."

"That's just it. What if I don't know what I want?"

"Then we won't do anything. Just let me come with. Please?"

"Fine." She gave in. "If you insist."

He smiled at kissed her swiftly. The next thing he knew, she'd wrapped her arms around his neck and was pulling him desperately closer. "Elphaba…"

"Shhh." She whispered, kissing him intensely.

When she broke away, he put his arm around her, glancing around and noting that there was no one else outside at that time of day. "Then it's settled? I'm going with you?"

This time she really did laugh. "I have no other choice, do I?"

"No, no you don't." He teased.

"You need to be outside your dorm and packed by dinnertime Friday. Does that sound okay?"

"Sounds fine."

It was an hour past dinnertime that Friday night and Elphaba had already fallen asleep on his shoulder. He stared out the window, idly running his fingers through her soft, silken hair. The driver turned around. "Your friend, there; is she feeling all right?"

"She's fine." Fiyero replied. "Why?"

"She fell asleep awfully fast. Must be exhausted."

"We had final exams last week," Fiyero told the driver.

"A studious one, then, huh?"

"She is."

"You don't seem nearly that tired."

"I've never been much for studying."

The driver chuckled and turned back to the road.

Fiyero draped a blanket over both Elphaba and himself as the air got cooler. Subconsciously, she snuggled closer to him and he wrapped her tighter in his arms. Gently, he whispered, "Elphie?"

She looked up at him sleepily. "Yeah?"

"You tired?"

"A little."

"You can stretch out on the seat some more if you want."

She did and laid her head in his lap. "Thanks."

"No problem." He kissed her nose.

She giggled and closed her eyes. "Goodnight. Aren't you tired?"

"Not at all."

"Bored?"

"Not when I can sit here and watch over you."

She glanced at him, rolled her eyes and closed them again.

They arrived at Nest Hardings two days later. He helped Elphaba out of the carriage, stretching lazily. It was good to be out of the cramped compartment in the carriage, though he hadn't minded so much, being with Elphaba. "This is home?" He asked her.

"I wouldn't call it 'home' so much as 'hell'." She muttered. "Let's go inside." Entering the house cautiously, she called, "Father? Shell?"

He felt her hand tighten its grip on his as an elder man who he assumed to be her father and a young woman in a wheelchair entered the room. Elphaba seemed to tense and he had the urge to hold her close, though he knew it wasn't the time.

"Elphaba, Fabala, welcome home. And who…?"

She coughed. "Oh, yes. Father, Nessa, this is Fiyero."

Fiyero held out his hand for Elphaba's father to shake, but her father simply ignored it and scolded Elphaba. "Why was I uninformed you were bringing someone with you?"

"Did you expect me to make the journey alone? With a carriage driver I didn't know?"

This was obviously uncharacteristic of Elphaba, as Fiyero already knew and could tell from her father's face. "You're a young lady. Can't you take care of yourself?"

"Why would I want to? I felt safer having someone with me, that's all."

"Why a male companion?" Elphaba's father was acting as if he was interrogating his own daughter.

Elphaba stuck her nose in the air. "Father, he's my boyfriend."

Frexspar almost choked and Fiyero was horrified at the unmasked surprise that was in the man's eyes. After a moment, Frex shook his head slowly, taking things in gradually. "All right, then."

Haughtily, Elphaba told her father, "You ought to show a bit more respect to your guests, especially Fiyero. He's a prince, after all."

Frex seemed even more surprised at this. "A prince?"

"From the Vinkus." Fiyero replied, glad to get his word in.

Nodding, somewhat dumbfounded, Frex finally shook Fiyero's hand. "Welcome, your highness."

"Sir, such formality isn't necessary." Said Fiyero.

Motioning to Elphaba, Frex said, "Get your things. I'll put him in the guest room."

When they were settled in, Elphaba sidled her way into the guest room. "I'm sorry for the way my father treated you."

Fiyero, still unpacking the last few things from his suitcase, said, "No. Don't be. I'm just disturbed by the way he acted towards you."

"Why?"

He couldn't believe she didn't see anything wrong with her father's behavior. "He acted like he couldn't believe you were dating someone. That and he practically attacked you for bringing me along and not telling him."

"Well, he's right. I should've written home first."

"Still. The way he reacted when you told him who I am was uncalled for."

"No, it wasn't. Fiyero, no one expects me to have a social life. Not my father, not my sister, not my Nanny. It's only because of Glinda and Boq that I have any sort of social life to begin with, anyway."

"But he acted as if he doesn't expect anyone else to love you."

She shuddered at his words. "I don't look all that loveable."

"I've told you and meant it, and I still mean it, when I say that you're beautiful."

She caught his eyes and kissed him passionately. In between breaths, she said, "Thank you."

The door opened just then and Frexspar was standing in the doorway. "Dinner is…" He cut himself off.

Elphaba didn't pull away from Fiyero; she simply broke the kiss, but let him continue to hold her. "Sorry, father." But the look in her eyes was defiant. Fiyero could see she wanted him to stay close just to vex her father a bit.

Frex looked at his feet. "I was going to tell you that dinner is ready."

"We'll be out in a minute." Elphaba motioned for him to close the door.

When her father was gone, Fiyero looked at Elphaba questioningly. "What was that?"

She only pressed her lips against his harder, keeping their embrace heated. Clutching at his shoulders, she pushed her body against his.

"Elphaba, Elphaba!" He stopped her. "Calm down."

Her eyes were sparkling. "Sorry. I just wanted to shove it in my father's face that someone does care about me."

He tilted her chin. "You don't need to shove it in anyone's face, Elphie. I care about you and nothing matters but that."

She let him kiss her tenderly and then finally released herself from his arms. "We'd better get to the dinner table before my father starts to think we're doing more than what he saw."

He sat next to her at the dinner table and was not astonished to see Nanny and Nessa react to him the same way that Frexspar had. The little boy, Shell, didn't understand the confusion, being so young. But even in the boy's eyes, he could see some hint of surprise.

After dinner, Elphaba once again crept into the guest room and they sat quietly for a long time, just feeling the other breathe. All at once, Elphaba began to cry.

He jumped, alarmed. "Elphie, Elphie, what's wrong?"

She shook her head and covered her face with her hands.

"What is it?" He wrapped her in his arms and held her close, waiting for the shaking to subside.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For the way I behaved earlier when I was in here. I pushed you into doing something that I only wanted you to do because I was resentful of my father."

"Don't feel bad about that." He stroked her cheek softly, wiping away the tears that burned at her face. "I can't blame you for acting the way you did."

"I just hate that he acts like I'm some sort of curse!"

"Hush. It's okay." He hugged her, letting her bury her face in his shirt.

"But it's not. I'm so tired of being looked at this way by my own family. I hate it. I mean, I don't know for sure, but this is not how a family is supposed to be."

"You're right, it's not."

"With normal families, there's always someone there to lean on no matter what's going on. But it's different in my family. They don't care. They'd look down on me no matter what happened."

"I'm here." He told her. "I'll be here, always."

She looked away. "Not always."

"Yes, always. At least as long as you want me around."

She looked back at him through her tears and tried to smile. "I appreciate that, but you really can't always..."

"I don't see anything in this world that'll make me want to stop being around you, Elphaba. So, as far as I'm concerned, I'm going to be here." He kissed her.

"I'd better get to bed." She smiled half-heartedly.

He didn't let go of her. "Stay."

"Fiyero, I can't."

"You can. Just fall asleep right here."

"I don't know…"

"We're both completely clothed; we're not even in pajamas. It's all right."

She nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck. "You're too much."

"I'm not enough."

"I guess if you really want me to, I could fall asleep right here. It's pretty comfortable. And I'm getting used to being next to you when I fall asleep, thanks to that damned long carriage ride."

He stretched out on the bed and she laid her head in his arms and joined him. "Good night, Elphie."

"Good night."

"Sweet dreams, my sleeping beauty." He whispered.

He wasn't certain, but he thought the curve of her lips turned up a bit more as she smiled in her sleep.